Journey On
by SilverGhostKitsune
Summary: “You aren’t the only one who is searching, Riku!” She said that to him as he walked by, startling him because no one was supposed to know his real name. Riku finds a new ally inside the Organization RikuxOCxAxel
1. Searching

Journey On

**Summary:** "You aren't the only one who is searching, Riku!" She said that to him as he walked by, startling him because no one was supposed to know his real name, at least, not there. Riku finds a new ally inside the Organization, but what happens when he begins to feel different. RikuxOCxAxel not Yaoi or Yuri!

Hey...sorry you guys for not keeping up with my stories, but I try to start a chapter on one that's already up, and bam! I get a new idea for a new fic. Plus, on a few I have writers block. I am trying though.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or All That I've Got by The Used. The only things I own are the plot and my characters I add in.

Chapter 1: Searching

Riku had just gotten back from another fight and was utterly exhausted. Xemnas had ordered him to once again track down Sora, but someone had interfered, causing the Keyblade master to escape while he had to fight. He was tired, sweaty, and just plain-out irritated. He slowly made his way to the shower room, hoping that no one was there.

He let out a sigh as he heard a shower running in the back, on the women's side and headed off to the men's side. 'God...don't let it be Larxene. I can't stand her endless chatter.' As the silver-haired boy turned the water on and stepped into the shower after removing his clothes and setting them on the side, he heard a voice call out. 'Damn!'

"Hi Xehanort. Fancy meeting you here at this time of night." He heard a light laugh.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Simple...you are the only one besides me that would bother to take a shower after a mission when it's this late."

"Ah...Sirux."

"What?"

"I was wondering who I was talking to. For a minute I thought I was gonna have to deal with Larxene." He heard a laugh echo off the tiled walls. Normally, he wouldn't talk while he was in the shower room, but he felt bored and wanted to see what Sirux was doing up so late.

"How was the mission?"

"Shitty." Sirux smiled at Riku's short, typical answer.

"Oh. Interference?"

"Yeh..." Sirux smiled to herself. 'If only he knew...Maybe, I could drop him a hint or two.' She leaned over and turned off the water, promptly shivering as the heat disappeared. Grabbing a fluffy towel, she wrapped it around her and stepped out of the stall. She walked over to the sinks and mirrors opposite of her and started to brush her long, blood red hair that appeared black due to the water. She quickly put on her tank top and pants, grabbed her laundry, and headed towards the door. Unfortunately for Riku, she had to pass his shower, but she smiled at the surprise she had for him. She stopped directly beside the curtain, causing Riku to hold his breath.

"You know, you aren't the only one searching, _Riku_." He froze. No one should have known his name other than him and the King. An icy feeling gripped his lungs as he watched her shadow move away. He leaned against the wall of the shower and let the water beat his chest as he thought about what she said.

"How the hell does she know my name? And what did she mean by searching?" Standing quickly, he turned off the shower and raced to get dressed. He sprinted down the hall and stairs that lead to the girls' hall, even though there were only two occupied rooms on the entire hall. Suddenly, he crashed into someone, sending them sprawling. He continued running, throwing a short sorry over his shoulder.

"Finally..." Riku paused in front of the door on his left, the one across from Larxene's, his hand hovering to knock, listening.

"I'll be just fine, pretending I'm not. I'm far from lonely and it's all that I've got." Riku knocked on the door and heard scrabbling. "Coming!" The door flung open, revealing Sirux in her tight black tank top and long black pjs with little, pink hearts on them. She paused for a second and then dragged the taller man inside her room, slamming the door shut and locking it behind him. She looked up to see Riku giving her an odd look, like WTF.

"Were you singing?" The girl breezed by him and hunkered down on the bed, ignoring his question.

"So, what do you want to know?" Riku slowly walked towards her and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"First, I'd like to know how the hell you know my real name." He stared into her eyes as he awaited her answer.

"Well..."

(Flashback)

S_irux walked down to the dungeons, on guard for anything suspicious. Once more, she had been assigned to check out the dank corridors beneath Castle Oblivion. 'I detest this damnable chore! Like hell anyone would stay down hear long enough to do anything anyway.' Suddenly, she froze, hearing voices. She quickly dimmed the flame on her torch and crept towards the slightly ajar door. She tuned all her hearing in on the two voices, one high and squeaky, and one low and smooth. 'I swear I recognize that voice from somewhere.' Not daring to miss out on possible secret information by busting in, she silently listened in instead._

"_Your Majesty...with all due respect, I think that it is not of your concern how I go about looking for Sora and Kairi."_

"_Riku, if you don't be more careful, the organization will soon catch on." 'On to what?'_

"_I can handle this on my own. You deal with finding Ansem." 'Ansem...what the hell is going on here!' _

"_Riku..."_

"_No! I am going now. Good day, your majesty." The sudden scrape of a chair brought Sirux to her senses. She quickly dodged into a nearby bend in the wall and pressed her back as hard as she could against it, immersing herself in the shadows. Just as she fell back, a familiar silver-haired figure strode by. 'Xehanort? But...' She jumped and bit her lip to keep from shrieking as someone tapped her leg. Looking down, she saw a mouse motioning for her to follow him._

"_What the hell is going on?" The mouse sat down calmly and watched the girl plop down into the opposite chair of his, ranting._

"_What do you want to know?"_

"_Well...for starters, why did you call Xehanort 'Riku'?" The king smiled._

"_You are Sirux, I presume?" The girl nodded slowly, eyeing the mouse cautiously. "Well...Riku and I are from other worlds." At this, the girl looked shell-shocked._

"_What? You mean, you too?" The king nodded, his grin fading._

"_Tell me, Sirux. What do you know of Heartless?" The girl dropped her gaze for a minute and closed her eyes._

"_They...they came. Thousands, no, billions of them. They seemed to be searching for something and I think they found it, for whatever it was, it brought about the destruction of my home. They attacked in dozens and very rarely on their own. I was small, almost too small to remember. I remember the screams the most."_

(Another Flashback...amidst another.)

**A little girl ran, hand in hand with a woman. The woman appeared to be in her mid-thirties. Her red hair was tied into a messy bun, her blue dress wrinkled and torn in several places. The girl running with her had the same, blood red hair and was wearing a yellow jumper. She panted as she ran, trying to keep up. Screams of terrified people and dying people filled her ears, making her run faster. Panic swelled in her chest as she caught sight of little black creatures with yellow eyes running after them. **

**Fires raged throughout the town, shattered glass rained down on the pair as the heat grew too intense for the windows to take. The woman drew to a halt in the middle of a small courtyard and turned towards the girl.**

"**Rayne, you must get free of this place. It is doomed to fall."**

"**But mommy...I don't wanna go." Tears filled the woman's and girl's eyes. Suddenly, another girl with curly, blonde hair and a pink jumper came running into the small area and ran over to the little girl in yellow. The woman looked up and smiled sadly.**

"**You and Sari must get as far from here as you can. Protect each other and LIVE!" With that, a light cloud surrounded both girls as the woman turned to face the incoming heartless. (AN: the girl, Sari, is pronounced like faerie, only with an s.)**

"**Mommy! No!"**

(End that flashback and back to the other!)

"_That is all I remember." The king nodded and leaned over the table, hugging the girl tightly, considering she was shaking slightly. Then he leaned back and continued to get information from the girl. 'I have a feeling...'_

"_How old were you?"_

"_When they took over my world, 7. When the organization found me, 14. Now, 17."_

"_What did you do during those seven years before you were found?"_

"_Tried to survive. Searched for Sari. Still am." The king nodded and stood up._

"_I suppose you know of the keybearer?" The girl shrugged._

"_He sealed keyholes to worlds and stopped the heartless for awhile. Big deal!"_

"_But, he had to close the door to the darkness, with my and Riku's help. We were trapped on the other side and now, Sora is attempting to find a way to open another door to set us free, but he doesn't realize we already are."_

"_Then why are you here? Why not just go home and be done with it?"_

"_Because, we have to find Sora's nobody, Roxas. And, we have to stop Organization XIII from opening Kingdom Hearts. Now...I have something that I think would serve you well." Reaching into his pocket, the mouse withdrew a keychain that had a wolf's head on it. The charm was silver with the edges rimmed with black and blue flames. He tossed it at the girl and watched as a black keyblade appeared in her hand. It was like one-winged angel but the end was shaped like a wolf snarling. The wolf's head was colored in purple, blue and black flames._

"_What's this?" the girl held the blade near her face and torch to get a closer look._

"_The Wolfblade. Its owner is said to be able to do...certain things."_

"_Like..." the girl had set the blade down and was startled when it disappeared. Mickey laughed when he saw her astonishment._

"_They are said to be able to transform into an animal of their choice, and to be able to control the forces of nature, hence the winds and water on the chain and blade."_

"_Sounds...cool. But now what do I do if I want the blade?"_

"_Think about it and want it to appear." The girl nodded and yelped when the blade appeared in her hand with a flash of blue light, causing the king to laugh even more. "Don't be so startled. After all, it is your weapon."_

"_But...I have always used the whip. Won't the organization get suspicious if I suddenly have a keyblade?"_

"_Yes...I suppose they would. However, you can still use other weapons, even if you are a keyblade wielder." _

"_Is that it? Is there nothing more?"_

"_Yes, that is all I can tell you."_

"_But it isn't all you know. Can you at least tell me about Sari?" The king shook his head as he walked over to the door and opened it._

"_I'm sorry, but you'll have to find that out on your own. Good luck, Rayne." With that, he left the girl to sort through her muddled thoughts._

(End Flashback...finally! lol)

Sirux finished her tale, leaving out her real name. 'Until I know I can trust him...' Riku had sat, silent and brooding as the girl had told her story, and now he looked up and into the exotic eyes of the girl before him, just now noticing that her eyes were a deep, midnight blue with flecks of silver.

"So...you have a keyblade too." The girl nodded and held out her hand, allowing the wolfblade to appear. Riku glanced at it before summoning his own, Soul Eater. The girl gasped and leaned forward to examine the unusual keyblade. She grinned wickedly, making Riku feel uneasy.

"We should battle sometime. It would be interesting. Plus, I haven't had a good enough opponent to see what it can do."

"You haven't?"

"No...I was worried the organization would become suspicious." the girl said, shrugging. A sudden knock on the door startled the pair inside the room. Axel's voice drifted, muffled, through the door.

"Xehanort...I know your in there" he called in a sing-song voice.

"Shit..." Riku glanced up and out the balcony doors to see the sun just rising. Sirux followed his gaze and winced.

"Lie down!" Riku whipped his head around to glare at the girl.

"What" he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Just do it. I have an idea. Please don't get mad at me when it's over." He narrowed his eyes as he leaned back and lay down on the bed. What he didn't expect was for Sirux to straddle him and start moaning loudly. He stiffened and sent death glares to the girl on top of him. "Just go with it" she whispered. "Ohh Xehanort!" He flinched. 'At least she didn't say Riku.' He froze as she bent forward and whispered in his ear. "Work with me here!"

"How!" she gave him an odd look.

"Moan. I don't know. Do what you normally would."

"And that would be..." he flinched as she once again moaned.

"Have you not done this before?"

"No! Have you?" She glared fiercely at him.

"No! But living across from Larxene has its own pluses sometimes." Riku groaned in exasperation, earning a thrilled look from Sirux. "Do that again!"

"Why?"

"Cause it works!" Riku, never one to comply with anything without a bonus for him, glared and refused. "Fine then. I'll do it myself." His eye twitched as she moaned again.

--------------------

(Other side of the door)

Axel had just come looking for Riku, after not finding him in his room and getting a tip off Marluxia of his whereabouts. He smirked as he thought of how pissed Riku would be if he walked in on something... 'important'. Knocking on the door, he called out "Xehanort...I know your in there." He thought 'I wonder if anyone besides me knows his real name.' A sudden moan caught his attention. 'Riku...you dog!' He flinched when the moaning got louder.

"Ohh Xehanort!" 'That's it! I'm gone.' With that he turned and left.

"I'm gone! Have fun you two!"

--------------------

(Back in the Room)

Riku glared at the girl on top of him, wishing he could throttle her. After Axel's muffled goodbye, she stopped moaning and was just sitting on his waist with her head slightly turned towards the door.

"Sirux..."

"Shhhhh!" She held up one hand and continued to face the door. After a long minute, she deemed it safe to talk and looked back at Riku, who was glaring pins and needles at her. She realized she was still sitting on him and jumped off, but she regretted moving as soon as the boy stood up, grabbing her wrists and pushed her against the wall.

"What the hell was that?" The girl looked into his eyes and smirked.

"A decoy. What do you think would have happened if he came barging in here with us holding keyblades. He would have gone straight to Xemnas and we both would be in trouble!"

"Couldn't you have found a better decoy!"

"Not off the top of my head. I had to get him to leave somehow and I just happen to know he hates it when Larxene is going at it, so I just drew conclusions." Riku sent one last glare at her before letting her go.

"Great...now he'll never let it go." Sirux raised her eyebrows.

"What do you mean."

"Unlike you, I have to share a room. He is constantly going on about how I need to lighten up and whatever."

"Well, you do have a pretty tight ass!" Riku raised an eyebrow. Catching his look, Sirux laughed. "Not like that!" A sudden buzzing drew the two teens' attention as the loudspeaker sounded off.

"Attention, would everyone report to the Great Hall for an important meeting. You have ten minutes!" Riku and Sirux glanced up at each other and ran for the door.

--------------------

Sirux calmly entered the hall and headed towards her seat. She noticed Axel following her with his eyes and she threw him the bird, making Riku smirk as he entered shortly after her.

"Now, is everyone here? Good. Let us begin. As you all know, we have been searching for the key to open Kingdom Hearts. Well, today, that key has been found!" Sirux noticed Riku stiffen in his seat, catty-corner from her, next to Axel. She also noticed a questioning look on the red-head's face. "Bring them in!" Her attention was drawn away as the doors behind Xemnas crashed open, reverberating off the walls. In walked Marluxia and a relatively tall girl, roughly around Sirux's height. Blonde hair fell in waves to the girl's shoulders and her jeans were torn at the knees. Her yellow shirt was covered in what looked like blood.

Sirux's hand curled into a fist around her pen as she recognized the blue-grey eyes of Sari. Glad that she had time to change into her normal clothes and cloak, she continued to watch as Marluxia shoved the girl forward. Sirux was vaguely aware that her pen had snapped in two and ink and blood was flowing onto her paper for notes. She quickly brought her hand under the table and let it continue to bleed on her lap and onto the floor. 'Damn him! I'll kill him for this!'

Riku had glanced over at Sirux when he noticed her hand clench out of the corner of his eye. He was shocked when Xemnas claimed to have found the key to Kingdom Hearts. However, when the girl was brought in, he relaxed, but now, he saw Sirux's pen break, sending shards into her balled fist. He noticed that ink and blood were slowly oozing onto her papers and table when she quickly brought her hand under the table. 'What's with her?'

"Now, we have no need of Sora. Take her to the prison!" Xemnas dismissed Marluxia, who forced the girl out of the room. "Everyone else, you are dismissed as well." Riku slowly stood up and watched Sirux visibly slump in her chair as he followed Axel out.

--------------------

"So...how'd it go?" Riku lifted his head to look at his roommate, who was currently tossing fireballs into the air and catching them.

"How'd what go?" Axel let the fireballs dissipate as he sat up.

"You know...you and Sirux? How was it?" Riku rolled his eyes and stood up, planning to leave his... 'friend' behind.

He opened the door and headed off to wherever his feet decided. Walking along the corridors, he heard whispering and, deciding to check it out, he came across Sirux and the prisoner.

--------------------

"Sari? Are you in here?" The blonde girl lay curled up on the floor of the prison cell. Upon hearing someone calling her name, she sat up.

"Who's there?" She saw a black figure standing in front of her and she started to back up, well...at least until the figure removed it's hood. She squeaked as the familiar red hair and dark blue eyes looked out at her.

"It's me..."

"Rayne?" the figure nodded and Sari launched herself at her friend. "I missed you so much! Where have you been!" Rayne shook her head, causing the beaded braids to click. (AN: her hair is done up like Rikku's from FFX-2, only her headband is black.)

"Now is not the time. We have to get you outta here!" Rayne just grabbed Sari's hand and pulled her out of the open door. The two silently walked down the long hall and turned right onto a different one.

"How are we supposed to get out of here?" Rayne winced, knowing what she had to do.

"Listen...I...I work for this organization." Sari backed away slightly.

"No..."

"Yes" Rayne said, pulling up her hood to prove her point.

"But why?" Rayne sighed.

"I thought it would lead me to you. I was right, but I wish I could have found you under better circumstances. Now...we must hurry before...anyone...Shit!" Rayne trailed off as she spotted Riku and vise versa.

"Sirux...what the hell are you doing?" She flinched.

"Sirux?...But your name is..." Sirux covered her friend's mouth with her hand.

"Long story. I'll explain later. Riku, we have to get her out of here." Riku stood for a moment.

"Why?" He was floored when suddenly Sirux did a very un-Siruxy thing. She let go of Sari and grabbed Riku's forearms, begging.

"Please Riku, I can't do this on my own. I...we need your help." Riku was shocked to see her eyes tearing up and hearing her plead. He nodded.

"Fine. Let's go." Sirux grabbed her friend and followed Riku down countless hallways and endless staircases before the corridor they were on began flashing red and alarms sounded. Riku was aware that they were near the roof and hurried the group on.

The trio ran out onto the rooftop, only to be soaked by rain. A sudden bubbling noise drew their attention to a dark portal forming. Sirux panicked as she saw Axel step out of the portal and hold out his hand, thinking he was asking for them to surrender. She pushed Sari behind her, drawing her keyblade and Axel looked slightly shocked. She was shocked at what he had to say, though.

"Hurry! They'll be here any minute!" Riku stepped into the portal without hesitation, but Sirux turned to him and stared into his green eyes.

"Why should we trust you!"

"Because, I'm your only chance!" Sirux froze as she realized that he was right. She quickly shook her head and her dismissed her blade. She then pulled Sari around her and pushed her forward. After she stepped through, Axel joined them and closed the portal.

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Ahahahaha! Cliffy time. falls off cliff Ahhhhhhhhh!

Read and Revieeeeewwwwwwww!keeps falling


	2. Falling

Journey On

**Summary:** "You aren't the only one who is searching, Riku!" She said that to him as he walked by, startling him because no one was supposed to know his real name, at least, not there. Riku finds a new ally inside the Organization, but what happens when he begins to feel different. RikuxOCxAxel

Hey...sorry you guys for not keeping up with my stories, but I try to start a chapter on one that's already up, and bam! I get a new idea for a new fic. Plus, on a few I have writers block. I am trying though.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or 1000 Words from FFX-2. The only things I own are the plot and my characters I add in.

Chapter 2: Falling

She always hated the feeling she got when using the portals. Her stomach felt like it was in her throat, making it difficult to breathe. Her body ended up feeling like jello and she didn't like the nausea that sometimes followed. Sometimes, she was fine, sometimes she just fell over and lay for hours. Now was one of the times she fell over.

As she lay there, she was dimly sentient of the fact that lightning was flashing and thunder was rolling over head. She was also slightly conscience of rain hitting her back and face; however, she just continued to lay on whatever world she landed in's surface. 'I think...I'm gonna be sick. And that is precisely what she was. She was grateful that she had her hair up and in its funky braids and black headband. (AN: think Rikku's hair from FFX-2, only blood-red.) She managed to get to her hands and knees before the bile rose up and out of her throat and mouth. She couldn't have cared less that two people were watching her, concerned. She finally managed to stand up on her not-so-solid-feeling legs, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"You ok? Never seen that kind of reaction to the portal." Axel stood, for once looking serious instead of joking around. Sirux simply shot a glare at him before proclaiming she never liked the portals and that said portals should die and burn in hell. Riku just silently waited to tell her the news. He watched as she slowly took in the fact that Sari was the only one unaccounted for and turned to him.

"Where is Sari?" She kept a blank face, but he saw panic filled her exotic eyes.

"She wasn't here when we got here. I think she was accidentally transported elsewhere." He watched as her calm facade crumbled and started when she took off running. He and Axel exchanged looks before taking off after the panicking female. After catching up with her, he realized that the area looked familiar. 'Traverse Town...Haven't been here in awhile.' He grabbed Sirux's wrist and spun her around to face him. "Sirux, calm down!" He was mildly surprised when she wrenched her hand out of his grip and started screaming at him.

"NO! I won't calm down! My friend is out here...there...wherever all by her self! Who knows what could happen to her!" Riku calmly stood there as she vented, waiting for her to finish. As she turned and walked away, he followed her down the stairs and into the center of the second district. He heard Axel behind him, but ignored the pyro. As Sirux started hollering Sari's name, Riku once again turned her around, silencing her for a minute.

"It's ok...we will find her." Anger welled up inside of Sirux.

"NO IT'S NOT! We have to find her now!" She turned and tried walking away, only to have Riku once more turn her around.

"Sirux...Sirux listen! We can't search now. It is dark and storming out! We will search for her as soon as the storm is past." Something snapped inside her. Riku saw her eyes blaze silver for a second. He was taken aback when Sirux started screaming at him.

"Goddamn it! Stop calling me Sirux! I hate that godforsaken name! My name isn't Sirux! It's Rayne! R-A-Y-N-E! Got it! Good! Now fuck off!" She turned and watched as a group of shadow heartless appeared in front of her. She drew the wolfblade and smashed through them, heading towards the Gizmo Shop. Riku just stood and watched her walk away. He turned his head to face Axel, who had placed his hand on Riku's shoulder as he walked by. Both of them heard sobbing and watched as Rayne wobbled and fainted to the ground. The two men rushed over to see her lying there, tears coursing down her face, her eyes were clamped shut.

"What do we do?" Riku motioned to the hotel behind him.

"There's a hotel...Let's just get her inside." Axel nodded and stooped down to pick up the limp woman. The two walked to the hotel and walked inside, just before the rain started to pour down harder. Riku strode over to the counter and he chatted with the man standing behind it for a moment before turning to Axel. "How much munny do we have?" Axel pulled out his wallet and counted 2000 munny.

"I have 2000."

"So that makes 3000 total...Sir, how far do you think that would last us here?" The man sighed.

"Well, if you only get a single room, not counting food, it should last you two days." Riku sighed too.

"We'll take a single room, please." The man nodded and handed them the key to the green room and the boys walked into their temporary new home. Axel carefully placed Rayne on the bed after carefully removing her cloak and hanging it up to dry. Riku sat down by the small fireplace and leaned his head against the wall. Axel just sat down at the table in the center of the room. (AN: I hope the layout is correct. It has been awhile since I have played the first Kingdom Hearts game.)

"She'll be fine in the morning. Don't worry bout it." Riku opened one of his eyes to glare at the red-headed man.

"I'm not worrying about it." Axel scoffed.

"Please, you know you do. Especially after this morning..."

"Nothing happened this morning. It was all an act to get you to go away." The two men jumped as Rayne sat up, holding her head in her hands. Axel looked to see Riku nodding, confirming what the lady said.

"Awww...you're so mean!" Rayne tried to stand up. Keyword: tried. She felt her legs tremble and she fell back onto the bed, earning a worried look from both of the guys. "Whoa, take it easy there! We're not going anywhere." Axel stood and started to take off his coat, proving his point.

"I could care less about where you're going. I have to go and find Sari before some..." She pitched forward after attempting to stand up again. Seeing her fall, Axel reached out and caught her before she could hit the floor.

"You're not going anywhere except back in bed." Axel picked her up like she was nothing but a rag doll and set her on the bed. "Now, sleep!" He turned and walked back to his chair, plopping down with a contented sigh.

Riku watched their exchange in silence before closing his eyes and drifting into sleep.

--------------------

"NOOOO!" Rayne woke with a start, sending Axel out of his chair and Riku on his feet.

"What? What happened?" Axel sat, dazed, on the floor. He noticed Rayne shivering and got up. "Cold? Here." He tossed a fireball into the fireplace and watched as a small fire got going. However, Rayne continued to quake.

"I-I'm fine. Just a dream." She slowly got to her feet and walked over to her jacket. "I'm going out...to look for Sari." She quickly put on the black uniform and walked out the door. Little did she know, Riku and Axel followed.

Rayne had been walking around the three districts for a good hour and a half and was starting to break. Due to the earlier trip and unexpected incident, it had taken all her strength just to stand and walk. Slowly, she was gaining her strength back. She knew that they didn't have enough munny to stay at the hotel and feed themselves and that just made her feel worse. Just as she rounded a corner, someone crashed into her. She looked up to see a girl no older than her with black hair and a ninja outfit on. The girl blushed and started apologizing profusely.

"I am so sorry! Really, I am. Please don't be mad..." Rayne smiled widely and took the proffered hand, climbing to her feet.

"It's no problem..."

"Yuffie."

"Nice name."

"Thanks..."

"Rayne." Yuffie held out her hand and Rayne shook it.

"Um...There is a quick favor I gotta ask ya."

"O...Kay?" Yuffie grinned and pointed behind her. Rayne looked over Yuffie's shoulder and only saw a crowd going by.

"See...there is this really tight-ass guy in my crew and so, to lighten him up, I played a little joke on him, but he got all mean and is chasing after me, so I was wondering if you mind hiding me?" Rayne laughed.

"There is one of those guys in my group too. Sure I'll help you." Looking up, Rayne saw a sign advertising a karaoke contest with a prize of 10,000 munny. "Hey, Yuff? I got a favor for you too."

"What is it?" Rayne pointed to the sign.

"Be my partner for the karaoke contest and we can hide in there!" Yuffie smiled brightly.

"That just might work!"

--------------------

"I can't believe she is doing this." Axel and Riku had watched as Rayne and another girl walked into a karaoke bar and followed them in.

"I can't either. Though, I would like to know why." They both were sitting at a table in the middle of the audience. Riku glanced up in time to see Leon walk into the bar and he was curious.

--------------------

"Which song are we gonna sing?"

"How about...1000 words?" Yuffie pondered the song for a second before nodding. Rayne told the guy which song and he nodded, handing them a number ticket.

"What spot are we in?"

"Five. That gives us thirty minutes...come on." Rayne dragged Yuffie into the costume room and the two changed into more 'appropriate' dress ware. Yuffie wore a black shirt and a jean mini-skirt and black boots that came up to her ankles. She had on silver hoop earrings and a small black bracelet. Rayne had on a white mini-skirt and a matching white corset that had black laces. Her boots were white leather and had a few chains dangling off them. The skirt was low rise, revealing some of her flat stomach. She wore some hoop earrings as well.

The man called them to the backstage area and they awaited their turn. As soon as the lights dimmed, they silently stepped on stage. The background music slowly started up and Rayne stepped up to the first microphone and began singing softly.

_I know that your hiding things  
Using gentle words to shelter me  
Your words were like a dream  
But dreams could never fool me  
Not that easily _

Yuffie stepped forward and began the next verse.

**I acted so distant then  
Didn't say goodbye before you left  
But I was listening  
You fight your battles far from me  
Far too easily  
**

Rayne held up her arm, like she was wiping away tears.

_"Save your tears cause I'll come back"  
I could hear that you whispered as you walked through that door  
But still I swore  
To hide the pain, when I turn back the pages  
Shouting might have been the answer  
What if I cried my eyes out and begged you not to depart   
But now I'm not afraid to say what's in my heart  
_

Then the two blended their voices for the chorus

Though a thousand words  
Have never been spoken  
They'll fly to you  
Crossing over the time  
And distance holding you, suspended on silver wings   
And a thousand words  
One thousand confessions  
Will cradle you  
Making all of the pain you feel seem far away  
They'll hold you forever

Both hugged themselves on the last line. As Rayne started the next verse, she pointed to her temple.

_The dream isn't over yet  
Though I often say I can't forget  
I still re-live that day  
You've been there with me all the way  
I still hear you say  
_  
**"Wait for me, I'll write you letters"   
I could see how you stand with your eyes to the floor  
But still I swore  
To hide the doubt when I turn back the pages  
Anger might have been the answer  
What if I'd hung my head and said that I couldn't wait  
But now I'm strong enough to know it's not too late  
**  
Cause a thousand words  
Call out through the ages   
They'll fly to you  
Even though I can't see  
I know they're reaching you, suspended on silver wings  
Oh a thousand words  
One thousand embraces  
Will cradle you  
Making all of your weary days seem far away  
They'll hold you forever

_Oh a thousand words_ (**a thousand words**)  
_Have never been spoken_ (**oh yeah**)  
_They'll fly to you  
They'll carry you home,_ (**carry you home**) _and back into my arms_   
_Suspended on silver wings_ (**on silver wings**)  
_And a thousand words_ (**ohh**)  
_Call out through the ages_ (**call through the ages**)  
_They'll cradle you_ (**oh yeah**)  
_Make all of the lonely years to lonely days_ (**lonely days**)  
_They'll hold you forever_

Oh, a thousand words 

Rayne let her voice slowly fade and was soon drowned out by the cheering of the crowd. She looked up as she heard a familiar whistle and gasped as she realized that Axel and Riku were there. 'Never thought they would follow me...' Yuffie smiled as she saw Leon in the back of the room, jaw to the floor. The two quickly rushed off stage and as they went to change, the owner stopped them.

"I would like to congratulate you on winning. As awards, you can keep the clothes and here is the prize munny. 10,000 munny each." Rayne smiled wider and bowed lightly.

"Thank you sir. That is very generous of you!"

"Not a problem. Do you think you could come sing tomorrow too?"

"I suppose...Yuffie?" Yuffie nodded. The owner clapped his hands together.

"Splendid. The show starts at 7:30." The two girls nodded and headed to go pick up their other clothes.

--------------------

Rayne poured the munny she won onto the table in the room, causing Axel and Riku to lean in for a better look.

"Holy...how did you get that much munny!" Rayne shrugged.

"Singing. I saw you there..." Riku and Axel looked at each other and back at the girl sheepishly. Suddenly, they were dragged into a large hug. "Thanks." Rayne let them go and walked over to the bed.

"Oh, no! I am not sleeping on the floor again!" Axel stood up, heading towards the bed.

"Me neither!" Rayne stood up as the two guys walked over to fight for the bed.

"Well, I am most certainly not sleeping on the floor!" All of them paused.

"Well..."

"We could just share..." The two guys looked at each other and to Rayne. She merely shrugged.

"Just don't try anything and I'm fine with it. So the girl forced the guys out of the room as she changed into her pjs. Thinking as she pulled on her shorts, she realized that she still didn't find Sari. She took her hair out of its braids and went to open the door. Opening the door, Riku and Axel stared at Rayne. She had on short, black shorts and a tight fitting blue cami. When she turned to head in, she felt someone slide a finger down her shoulder blade, making her shiver.

"What is with the tattoos?" She turned her head to see Axel and Riku both looking at the small black angel wings on her back, Riku with his finger pressed against her skin. There was one on each side, right where normal wings would be and each tattoo was no bigger than a small fist. They were black with crimson outlines and were jagged and sharp looking. Smiling, she continued inside and plopped down on the bed.

"They are marks we get when we are officially inducted into school back home. Every child's is different. It is supposed to be a reflection of their soul."

"And yours?" She looked up as Axel, who seemed curious instead of joking.

"A fallen angel. Mischievous and deadly, but still good." She crawled under the sheets and got ready to go to sleep. However, as she turned over, she caught sight of the two guys removing their shirts and froze, eyes roaming over their chiseled muscles that rippled as they moved. Heat rose to her face as realization dawned on her as to what she was doing. 'I can't believe I was just checking them out! God, they'll never let me live it down if they caught me.' She averted her sight to the crackling fire and sighed contently as she fell back onto the pillow.

The two boys turned and faced the bed. Axel crawled in on the left of Rayne, facing the fire, while Riku climbed in on Rayne's right, facing the balcony doors. After the two boys situated themselves so that they were facing the opposite of Rayne and had at least a foot between her and them, the group slowly drifted to sleep.

--------------------

Dream

_Follow the trails as your world seems to crumble_

_Fresh as the dew your power ignites_

_Alive in you it lives_

_Don't let it die._

_Softly it whispers_

_So sincere and so true_

_It calls to you like the howling of the wind_

_Traipsing across leafing trails_

_Let it lead you_

_And bring you home_

_Going so swiftly with care_

_Lighting your way_

_Follow the trails as your powers fail_

_And tears tend to lead you more_

_As friends seem to fall and no one is around_

_Lend your heart with care._

A mysterious feminine voice sung hauntingly through the mist that swirled around the red-headed girl. It sounded like the sighing of the wind mixed with the rustle of leaves and the swish of a stream. Rayne stepped forward cautiously, testing for any sudden drops or rocks. As she continued forward, she felt the mist dissipate and was shocked to find a relatively large falcon sitting on a large boulder. She was even more stunned at the fact that the song seemed to be coming from the bird. The bird was a snowy white with stripes of grey-blue decorating its wings and tail. Its hooked beak was a golden yellow, like a sunflower and its feet were of the same hue, with ebony talons gripping the rock's surface.

"Um..." the girl froze as the bird's majestic, golden eyes stared into her midnight blue eyes.

"Come my child...don't be frightened." Rayne carefully walked over to the bird and waited for further instructions. "Sit!" She sat and the bird chuckled. "Ah...silly humans, always afraid of that of which they don't know. Typical."

"I'm not afraid!" The bird cocked its head to the side.

"You aren't? Then why is it that you so readily obey? Why is it that you would have stood as far as you could from me?" Rayne stood up, fists curled at her sides.

"I wasn't scared, just surprised. In my world, most birds don't talk."

"Oh, but they sing? How is singing different from talking, other than how you say the words?"

"They sing...just...without words." The bird nodded. "Oh my god! I am arguing with an animal! I must be outta my mind!" Suddenly, the bird unfurled its wings and seemed to grow larger as a fierce cry erupted from its beak.

"Animal! Is it so crazy to talk to another creature? Just because we do not speak your language, doesn't mean we don't speak at all." Immediately, Rayne regretted her outburst.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any offense." The bird folded its wings and settled back onto the boulder.

"Humph! You humans are so easy to ruffle. Don't say something unless you mean it. And if you mean it, then don't apologize and try to take it back when someone doesn't like it. That's my opinion." Rayne arched an eyebrow.

"Ok...so...why am I here...or better yet, why are you here?" The bird laughed at Rayne again.

"Just offering a little advice. Now I'm done and you may go." The bird once again opened its wings and took to the air.

"Wait...what was the song you were singing?" The bird didn't answer as it continued to fly higher.

Rayne looked around her and decided to keep moving forward when another song reached her ears.

_Whispers across the plain_

_Thunder upon the dirt_

_As the rain pelts down_

_You are always free_

_Wild like the wind_

_Rushing through the grass_

_Your burden has died_

_Down at last_

_A moon so round_

_It shines like the sun_

_Calls to you _

_And makes no sound_

_Let the wounds be your power_

_Let the pain drive you on_

_To know another tomorrow_

_Is to know no bounds_

_Cry to the critters and they shall come_

_Face like a rivers, solid as a stone_

_Warmth greets you like a flame in the night_

_A spirit so wild, that none shall rule._

She came to a halt in front of a massive tiger with flaming orange fur and the blackest of stripes. Ivory fangs glinted in the light of an unseen sun. Massive paws housed deadly, pearlescent claws. The cat had its mouth open in mid-song, so Rayne sat down and enjoyed the song the cat was crooning out. When the song ended, the cat stood and stretched languidly, pink tongue curling out in mid-yawn.

"So...do all animals really have a voice and a language?" The tiger turned its massive head to scrutinize the girl with smart, amber eyes.

"Yes, we do" it rumbled in a masculine voice.

"Well then...do you have names as well? Other than the pet names we so often give you." The tiger snorted.

"You couldn't possibly care that much." Rayne narrowed her eyes.

"And why couldn't I?"

"No human ever has."

"Well...I do!" The tiger growled and turned to walk away.

"Risdelion is my name. You may call me Ris if you wish." The tiger disappeared into the bushes.

"I wonder what that falcon's name was."

"Shirtani, I think." Rayne jumped when the tiger answered. "Now, you must go." Rayne felt like she was tossed off a cliff and woke with a start.

--------------------

Rayne's eyes snapped open and she found herself curled against Axel's chest. Blushing madly, she tried to back away, only to find his arms were encircling her waist along with Riku's. She turned her head and saw Riku was pressed against her back in the 'spooning' position. She sighed and lay back down, waiting for morning to come. 'I guess I'm stuck here till they wake up.' A sudden tapping startled her out of her thinking, causing her to slam her head into Axel's chin.

"Huh? Wazzits goin on?" Rayne wriggled out of the guys' arms and stalked over to the window on the balcony doors, earning curious looks from Axel and Riku, who were now awake and sitting up. She found herself staring into the eyes of a huge bird, much like the one in her odd dream. Searing yellow eyes burned into her deep blue ones and she yelped, falling on her butt as the bird took flight.

"Wait!" She jumped up and threw open the door, running out in the pelting rain. Axel and Riku promptly stood and followed after, watching as she jumped off the balcony and ran into the alleyway.

--------------------

'Where did that bird go?' Rayne thought as she ran along the streets, slipping on the wet stone. She shivered as a blast of cold air hit her, raising goose bumps on her scantily clad skin. 'Damn! I just had to wear this to bed, didn't I?' She started running faster, as if something pulled her forwards, towards the gismo shop.

Rayne halted abruptly as she opened the doors. Air conditioning caused her skin to tingle, raising gooseflesh and hairs. 'Why me!' She took a cautious step inside and was glad to find it well lit as she walked towards what she thought was the back. As she walked, she became puzzled by the odd markings and paintings of the shop. She opened the door and stepped out, onto a small platform with a ladder at the end. She climbed the ladder, not knowing what compelled her. She was shocked when she saw the large bird, sitting regally on the edge of the roof. It swiveled its head to stare directly into Rayne's eyes, yellow meeting blue.

"I see you have finally arrived. Welcome Sirux, or should I say...Rayne." The bird dipped its head as if bowing lightly. Rayne, feeling odd and out of place, bowed her head too before speaking up.

"Um...why exactly am I here?" The bird blinked thoughtfully and chuckled airily.

"You seek your friend, do you not?" Rayne nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but clamped it shut when the bird continued. "You can not find her, though you wield what some would call the ultimate power. Why is that?" Rayne shivered, not just because of the cold, but because the bird had said something that sounded so familiar and yet so far forgotten.

"You say I have 'an ultimate power', but all I have is me, my whip, and my keyblade. I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem so mighty." The bird regarded her with what could be called slight disappointment.

"You are the wielder of the wolfblade. You hold the power of nature in the palm of your hand as well as the power of shape shifting. That is a great power!" the bird said, putting much emphasis on 'is'. Rayne sat down quietly.

"But it is worthless if you can't use it." The bird laughed heartily, earning a glare from the girl.

"That's it? Is that all that was wrong? My child, all you have to do is practice!" Rayne's eyes widened as she recognized the bird's voice.

"You...you're the bird from my dream aren't you?"

"The one and only!" The bird bowed exaggeratingly low.

"So, all I have to do is practice, huh?" Rayne was startled from her musing when a familiar voice called out to her.

"So, you've taken to talking to yourself now? Axel, I think we'll have to lock her in a padded room!" She whipped around to see Riku and Axel watching her carefully.

"But there was a..." She turned to see that the bird had disappeared, leaving her to look insane. "Never mind." She stood up and regretted it almost immediately as the cold air brushed her skin, causing her to shiver.

"Cold?" She nodded and was surprised when Riku handed her his jacket. "Here, you need it more than I do." She watched as his gaze slipped below her throat and looked down. She realized exactly what provoked him into saying and doing what he did. Her chest was sticking out prominently against her shirt, considering she had no bra on. Slipping on the jacket, she crossed her arms over her perky chest and walked to the ladder. 'So the infamous cold Riku is human after all.' She hopped down the ladder and walked back to the Hotel after exiting the Gismo shop.

Upon entering the green room, Rayne sighed as the warm air wrapped around her cold body. 'This is nice. I could get used to living here.' Her stomach rumbled, as if to disagree. 'Now for some food...' She snuffled around the table for any signs of food, receiving a lopsided grin from Axel. He walked up and placed a warm hand on her shoulder, and became worried about the iciness of her skin.

"Hungry?" She turned, nodding her head vigorously. "Riku, you hungry?"

"A little. I don't think anything is open this early though" he said, nodding to the clock that showed it was only 4 in the morning. The other two sighed in defeat.

"Looks like your gonna have to wait, Mr. Tummy" Rayne said, rubbing her tummy.

"It has a name?" Riku arched an eyebrow.

"Well I have a name for..." Axel yelped and rubbed his side after Riku elbowed him to shut up. "My socks, as I was gonna say before I was so rudely interrupted..." He sent a glare towards Riku while Rayne burst out laughing.

"Someone had their mind in the gutter!" Riku sent an icy glare towards the red-headed girl while Axel started to laugh too.

"It's only cause he knows he likes me and my sexiness." Rayne only laughed harder as Riku pouted.

"Yeah, because you are just so smexy that no one can resist you." At that point, Rayne had fallen onto the bed, laughing and holding her sides. Axel laughed for a little bit longer, and then watched Rayne in her laughing fit.

"You really think so?" She nodded and laughed all the harder.

"Yeah...that's why he always goes where ever you go!" He leaned over the bed and watched her face carefully.

"No, about no one resisting me..." she stopped laughing for a moment and looked up, still smiling.

"Pssshh...If that were true, you would have every girl, Larxene and me included, hanging off your arms. Trust me, you aren't irresistible." She watched as he smiled and walked away.

"Good. I was starting to think you liked me. It's bad enough with Riku." A shoe somehow sprouted wings and flew into the back of Axel's head, sending Rayne into another bout of laughter. Rayne sat up, wiping the tears from her eyes and smiled widely. Getting an idea, she walked over to the jacket rack and took Riku's jacket off, exchanging it with her own cloak.

"I'm going to go practice, care to join me?" She opened the door and headed into the hallway, leaving the two guys to follow after her. As she walked outside, she drew the wolfblade and several heartless appeared. Rayne slashed them down with three swipes and continued to the large courtyard. A large body popped up surrounded by shadow heartless. Rayne smirked and was about to cast firaga when an airy voice whispered in her mind.

"_Say hurricane blast._"

"What? Why?"

"_Just say it..._" Rayne shrugged and held up her keyblade.

"Hurricane blast!" For a second, nothing happened. Just as she was about to repeat herself, a large gust of wind wrapped around the enemies and tossed them into the air. As they hit the ground, the shadows disappeared and the large body staggered. Rayne ran forward and leapt onto the heartless's head and swung her keyblade. With a whoosh, the large body disappeared and left Rayne standing confusedly. "What the frick!"

"What kinda move was that?" Axel and Riku had come outside to spar when they saw Rayne fighting already. The move she just finished was not the kind of magic that they knew of. Rayne sat down and shook her head.

"I have no idea. I heard a voice tell me to say hurricane blast so I did." Riku and Axel exchanged nervous glances.

"_I'm not just some voice! I'm your keyblade!_" Rayne yelped and skittered away from her keyblade, startling Riku and Axel.

"You...can talk?" The keyblade glowed a brilliant blue and, as it flashed blindingly, Rayne and the other two covered their eyes. The trio uncovered their eyes and were surprised to see a large white wolf with glowing blue eyes. The wolf's paws and ankles were covered with a light blue flame. Around the wolf's neck was the charm from the end of Rayne's wolfblade. It was on a thick silver chain. The wolf stepped forwards, bowing to Rayne as it did.

"Greetings Rayne." Rayne's jaw hit the floor and she reached out to pet the wolf to see if it was real. When her hand touched the soft fur of the wolf's head, she closed and opened her mouth, trying to find the words to say.

"Who are you?" The wolf grinned and nuzzled the stunned girl's hand.

"I am your guide, so to speak. I am the spirit that resides in the wolfblade and I help the wielder to learn and master their powers and reach their fullest potential." Rayne withdrew her hand to her side and looked the wolf over.

"Do you have a name?"

"Each wielder before you has chosen a different name, one that matches their personality the best. You decide my name and form." Rayne looked baffled for a moment.

"What do you mean 'form'? Isn't this your form?" The wolf sighed.

"I only hold this form until I am named. It would scare most people if I was just some amorphous cloud." Rayne thought about that and nodded.

"Well, what name would you like?" The wolf looked shocked for a moment. No one had ever asked what name the wolf would like.

"Something feminine. I'm tired of getting male names." Rayne nodded.

"Would you like the name Avalir?"

"I think it is a lovely name." The wolf nodded happily and was soon engulfed by the same blue light. This time, when it cleared Avalir stood, still in the same form she was before only she had blue vine tattoos across her back and around her legs.

"Well then...what should we do next, Avalir?" The wolf jumped onto a bench and sat down.

"Training...Spread your feet shoulder's width apart. Yes, now bend your knees slightly...less than that!" Axel and Riku snickered as Rayne was ordered around by an animal. Suddenly, the wolf's blue eyes snapped to them. "What are you laughing at? You get training too! Move it! Move it!" Riku and Axel swiftly joined Rayne in the courtyard.

As the sun started to rise over the roofs, Rayne and company stood panting. Avalir had made sure that the trio would be well versed in battle. Even if Riku's form was good, it still had several flaws and the wolf was more than happy to point them out. Axel slumped to the ground, dropping his chakrams too.

"Can we call it quits yet? I'm beat!" The wolf's eyes flashed as she turned her head to the fire wielder. Seeing how tired everyone was, the wolf nodded and was soon engulfed by the familiar blue light. The wolfblade now sat in Rayne's hands, where she dismissed it shortly after.

"Let's go eat..." Rayne started walking away and Axel was forced to stand up again so he and Riku could follow.

--------------------

"I would like a stack of blueberry pancakes with whip cream on top and some bacon and sausage and eggs and a cup of coffee with cream and sugar...Oh, and a side of hash browns!" Axel and Riku gawked at the tiny girl across from them as she ordered enough food for two people. As Rayne looked up she raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing" Riku mumbled as he shook his head and turned to order. "One Southwestern omelet for me." Axel glanced at the menu and stuck his tongue out in concentration.

"I think I'll have...two eggs sunny-side up with bacon and sausage." The lady scribbled down the orders and headed to the kitchen, leaving the trio to themselves. Rayne calmly stared out the window, not aware of the glances she received from a certain silver-haired man. Axel, however, did notice and nudged Riku out of the booth. "We'll be right back..." The red-head dragged Riku around a corner and fixed him with a curious look.

"What was that for!"

"Just wondering...why were you continuously glancing at Rayne?"

"I wasn't!"

"Yeah you were...I'm not blind nor am I stupid. I know you had your little 'fling' with her, but most of the time, one night stands stay one night stands." Riku glared at Axel and shrugged the red-head's hands off his shoulders.

"We didn't have a fling. Nothing happened...didn't we already establish that?" Axel shrugged and started to head back to the table.

"Did we?" Riku growled under his breath and followed. Rayne looked up from her stack of food, whipped cream on the corners of her mouth.

"Hi! You're back. Hurry up. I want to search for Sari." Axel happily dug into his eggs and bacon and Riku slowly munched his omelet.

--------------------

Sari wandered down an alley, wary of every little noise. As she walked, the street got darker and darker, till she could hardly see. A green light appeared in front of her and Maleficent walked out of the rolling mist.

"Greetings my child..." The witch waved her hand like she was bowing.

"Who are you?" Sari backed away slowly.

"I am Maleficent. You seemed lost and I would like to help you." Sari paused in her exit and turned towards the greenish woman.

"You want to help me? Well then, could you tell me where my friend Rayne is?" Maleficent nodded and a swirl of green mist appeared like a mirror, revealing the image of Rayne. Rayne stood outside of a hotel with a red-haired man and was about to head in. A blade of sorts hung by her side. The lowering sun signified the fact it was late in the afternoon. The girl's lips were moving and she had a slight frown, but no sounds were heard.

"I am dreadfully sorry to say this, but your friend has done nothing but dawdle since you were lost. I figured you would be in need of assistance and rushed to help you." Sari's face took on a frown almost identical to Rayne's and she crossed her arms.

"Rayne wouldn't do that. She cares about me!" Maleficent shook her head and waved her right arm over the mirror. Suddenly, sounds could be heard.

"_I'm glad she isn't here yet! I wouldn't be ready to face her._"

"_What do you mean?_" At that point, Maleficent dismissed the mirror and gazed at the horrified girl next to her.

"She...lied to me. She...That betraying WITCH!" Sari's fists curled until her knuckles went white.

"I'm so sorry to have to tell you the truth. Come, you may stay with me." Maleficent opened a green portal and the two stepped inside. Had Sari looked back, she would have seen a malicious grin spread across the green woman's lips.

--------------------

"What I mean is that I need a bath and I can NOT go onstage looking like this! I only wish we could have found Sari so she could join Yuffie and me in the song." Rayne paused in the doorway of the green room and bent over, picking up a small note from the ground.

"What's that?" Axel looked over the girl's shoulder at the small rectangle of white.

"Oh no!"

"What?" Rayne set down the note and turned to face him.

"Yuffie left for a new world with her crew and can't come! What do I do! Tonight was supposed to be a duet!" Axel shrugged and went to sit down at the table.

"I'm sure you'll think of something." Rayne humphed and walked to the dresser, snatching some clean clothes and jogged off to the bathroom down the hall. As she stepped into the bland tan room, she shut and locked the door and placed her clean clothes on the counter. She stripped off her cloak and placed it opposite of the clean clothes. Her camisole, shorts and underwear went on the floor. When she turned the water on hot, steam began to fill the room and she sighed heavily as the water hit her flesh.

She reached up and grabbed the green bottle of shampoo and read the front. 'Berry Tea and Orange Flower? Smells good enough...' She squeezed a generous blob onto her palm and began to scrub it into her hair, making giant suds. She lathered the whitish-tan soap into her washcloth and scrubbed the rest of her body. She rinsed all the suds off of her body and turned off the water, stepping onto the rug and grabbing her towel shortly afterwards. Changing into her jeans and yellow shirt quickly, she opened the door and calmly walked down the hall to the room.

As she opened the door, Axel looked up from the map he was examining and gaped. Rayne raised an eyebrow and stuffed her dirty laundry in the basket the room so handily had in the far left corner. Axel continued to stare at her, making her nervous.

"Okay...what is it? Do I have a tail or something?" Axel closed his mouth and shook his head. "Well, then what is it?" The red-haired adolescent stood up and grasped a strand of the girl's hair that flowed to her waist.

"You have really long hair..." Rayne glared up at Axel with a look of 'no duh'.

"Yeah...so?"

"I've never seen you with your hair down. It looks nice." The boy let go of her hair and turned to walk out the door. "So, are we leaving?"

"What about Riku?" Axel shrugged and continued to walk ahead.

"He said he'd come later. I think he is searching for some potions or whatever." Rayne nodded and jogged to catch up to the fire wielder. The two of them quickly got to the bar where Rayne and Yuffie sang last night and barged in on the early drinkers. The room had several full tables and many others were filling up fast. The familiar face of the bar owner stuck out in the sea of strangers and Rayne waved to the portly man as she headed towards the entrance to backstage. Axel followed after the girl, not ready to take a seat.

"I see you made it, right on time too! Say...where's the other girl?" Rayne bowed politely and faced the man with a serious face.

"I'm really sorry, but Yuffie had something come up and couldn't make it." The man nodded in understanding and smiled widely.

"That's a'right! It only poses a slight problem, what with me advertising a duet, but tats ok. You can pick whatever song you want ta sing, jus' let Alec know...He's the one by the controls." The raven-haired man walked away and Rayne turned nervously to the audience.

"Ohh...I can't go up there now!"

"Why not? The guy said it was ok..." Rayne shook her head.

"I don't like singing in front of crowds..." Axel shot her a curious look.

"But you sang last time without any trouble."

"Yeah, but Yuffie was with me! I have horrible stage fright when I sing by myself." Axel looked down and smiled lightly, not knowing what to do. Rayne's blue eyes darkened till you could barely see the silver flecks in them. Suddenly an idea hit the girl and she grinned, her eyes lightening to normal. Catching her train of thoughts, Axel shook his hands in front of him and shook his head no.

"No way...I am not singing! I hate being onstage." Rayne saddened and looked like she was about to cry.

"Please?" She stuck her lower lip out and gave the boy a perfected puppy-dog pout. Axel sighed and let his arms fall limply to his sides.

"Fine...what song do you want to sing?..." The girl smiled brilliantly and dragged the red-head to the man known as Alec. Rayne tapped the brunette on the shoulder and was greeted with a warm smile that ran all the way into the man's amber eyes.

"How may I help you?...Hey, didn't you sing here with that black-haired girl last night?" Rayne's smile widened as she nodded.

"Yes, that was me. I'm here for an encore, but I don't know what song to pick...See, He's going to be singing with me." Rayne pointed over her shoulder at Axel, who was leaning against the wall.

"Well, I know what you sound like, but I can't base a duet off one person's voice. Could he sing for a second?" Axel glared at the man and opened his mouth to refuse when Rayne stepped in.

"Sure...Axel." The girl faced the man in question with a look that begged him to not argue. He sighed and thought of a quick song he could easily sound ok at.

"Sometimes you hold so tight it slips right through your hands, will I ever understand..." (AN: I don't own 'I Can't Hate You Anymore' by Nick Lachey.) Alec nodded and turned back to the computer and pulled up a song and pressed play. As Rayne and Axel listened, they started to memorize the tune of it. As it ended, Alec turned back towards them.

"I will have the lyrics on the screen if you wish..." Rayne shook her head.

"I think we've got it. Play it once more and we should be all set." Alec nodded and restarted the song. When it finished, Rayne nodded and headed to the stage stairs, only to be stopped by Alec.

"You can change before you go on, if you like. Women on the left, men on right." Axel shrugged and turned down the right hall while Rayne went down the left.

Rayne stepped into the area directly behind the stage, shyly tugging at the bottom of her black shirt. The straps were slightly wider than spaghetti straps and created a square neckline. An unattached white sleeve was on her right arm and it flared out at the bottom and had a dark pink ribbon threaded at the top of it to hold it on her arm. On her head was a black newsboy hat with the same colored pink ribbon weaving around the bottom edge of it. Slightly baggy jeans were held up by a stringy white leather belt that had red and tan beads on a few of the strings. A white cloth was wound around her left wrist and held in place by another pink ribbon. She wore the same black leather boots she came in with. (AN: I have a pic of my character...e-mail me for it! icewolfqueen01 the spaces)

"You look fine...Don't worry." Rayne jumped as Axel's voice rumbled behind her. She turned and was surprised to see him in something besides his cloak. A brown t-shirt fit loosely against him and the jeans were baggy, so he wore a black studded belt with them, making him very emo-ish looking. He too wore the same boots he walked in with. Around his neck hung a silver chain with a flame on it. Rayne knew she had seen it somewhere before, but she couldn't remember.

"I'm just nervous about the song..." Axel smiled.

"Don't be. You'll be fine." The bar owner's voice rung out, silencing the crowd. "You ready?" Rayne nodded and the two stepped out from behind the curtains. Loud cheering went up as Rayne took her microphone and began singing.

"_Is love so fragile and the heart so hollow  
Shatter with words impossible to follow  
You're saying I'm fragile  
I try not to be, I search only  
For something I can't see  
I have my own life  
And I am stronger than you know  
But I carry this feeling  
When you walk into my house  
You won't be walking out of the door_

_But I carry this feeling  
When you walk into my house  
You won't be walking out of the door_

Rayne looked over to Axel, who looked over at her, and the two stepped closer together.

Lovers forever, face to face  
My city or mountain  
Stay with me, stay  
I need you to love me  
I need you today  
Give to me your leather  
Take from me, my lace 

Axel gently raised Rayne's chin with his right index and middle fingers and smiled as he sang.

**You in the moonlight  
With your sleepy eyes  
Could you ever love a man like me?  
And you were right, when I walked into your house  
I knew I'd never want to leave  
Sometimes I'm a strong man   
Sometimes cold and scared  
And sometimes I cry  
But that time I saw you  
I knew with you to light my nights  
somehow I would get by. **

The two stood facing each other, Axel smiling and holding Rayne's chin and Rayne smiling back up at him.

Lovers forever, face to face  
My city or mountain

Stay with me, stay  
I need you to love me  
I need you today  
Give to me your leather   
Take from me, my lace

_Take from me...my lace_"

Rayne closed her eyes as she finished the last little part of the song and the crowd roared. Axel continued to look down at the girl and waited for her to open her eyes. As she raised her eyelids, her blue eyes changed to a more cerulean silver color. The two turned and bowed to the audience, missing the sight of a slightly upset Riku.

--------------------

Hmmm...I wonder why Riku is upset...;p I already know, but you don't! Anywho, Review, or I won't update!


	3. Author's Note

**Author's note!**

I am SO SORRY!!! To all my fans, new and old, please bear with me. I know I haven't updated on any of my fics for more than 3 months, and there are several reasons and causes to explain.

**1.** Every time I go to write another chapter or continue to work on one, I get a new idea for a completely new fic entirely.

**2.** Every time I go to write another chapter or continue to work on one, there is no inspiration to continue.

**3.** I have recently found that the guy I like might possibly like me back and it has pretty much put me off my fantastic fic-writing mood.

**4.** My mom has been on this new forum and won't let me get on the computer what so ever. In fact, she and I got into a huge argument over letting me on the computer to do HOMEWORK! Hello, last time I checked, homework is supposed to be more important than her forum.

**5.** I have also been out of town on a few occasions, mainly because my Great-Grandmother is getting up there in age and is becoming quite frail.

And lastly...

**6.** I finally got a social life instead of being a homebody. (Not to say other authors don't have one, but my mom gets home at about 6 pm and she doesn't know about fanfiction because I know she wouldn't approve of it no matter what I did to insure it is in fact a safe site!) My friends have been happy with me getting out of the house more, but it seriously lessens the amount of time I can spend on fanfics.

I hope all of you can forgive me for not updating in so long. I am hoping to get my writing mood back and look forward to that day. And please note; **THIS IS NOT A STRING OF EXCUSES, BUT RATHER A LIST OF TRUE REASONS WHY I HAVE BEEN MIA!**


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